


To The Death

by persistent_pedantry



Series: The Collected Escapades of Minerva and René Galliard IV [6]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2020-10-17 07:17:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20617130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persistent_pedantry/pseuds/persistent_pedantry
Summary: As you can probably guess from the title, this is an edgy one.Minerva's mother didn't raise no coward.





	To The Death

**Author's Note:**

> This one was also for a competition, this time for a character death. I hadn't written something like this before so it was new territory for me, but I'm still quite happy with it.

They were stupid. They fell into a trap that should have been obvious from the beginning, and now they’re fighting for their life for what must be the hundredth time... but this time, they really made a mistake. A huge mistake.

The red flash took over the form of the Gengar, returning it to its Poké Ball as Minerva regains her breath, coughing dryly. The Gardevoir looks to the woman putting away the fifth Poké Ball, pulling out a sixth and hopefully final one. This woman was Diantha: Kalos Pokémon Champion. Minerva knew of her and her team, but this wasn’t her usual. While she did have her old Gardevoir and Gourgiest, she had a Dusknoir, a Gengar... its a team specialised for her. A ghost of a smile flickers over Minerva’s lips. A team created for the sole purpose of defeating her. She feels honoured. Glancing back to René, he gives a reassuring nod, his relaxed posture still there are always, but seemed much more... tense. He knows what’s happening.

“I don’t want to do this to you, Minerva,” Diantha begins, readying herself to throw the final ball. “I don’t want to do this to either of you, so please, for the final time, just give yourselves up. If you come willingly, then I’m sure that the court will be kinder to you!“ Minerva makes no response, glaring at the Champion as René solemnly shakes his head. “Diantha, we have been doing this for far, far, far too long. If we’ve been going for this long, then I don’t see why we should give up now.” Diantha begins to form a reply, only for it to die on her lips. Clearing her throat softly, she gives an austere nod, throwing the final ball out on to the street — well, plaza. They had started the battle in Centrico Plaza, of all places; perhaps it was an attempt to show off their act of justice. It’s a pity, since so far, it’s mainly just been Minerva throwing a few Pokémon around. A smug smile that begun to rise immediately dropped as the ball flew, cracking open in a brilliant white light as Diantha called out two simple, but so, so very harrowing words:

_”Go, Aegislash!”_

Minerva stiffened, taking a small step back. She has a very, very bad history with these. Although, that was a long time ago; she’s stronger now, but the way that the Gengar had fought— they’re a little stronger than she can handle, and the Aegislash holds just about every single advantage over her that once could in a battle. For once in her life, she’s scared. She’s actually... she’s actually scared.

The Aegislash moves immediately, Minerva barely managing to avoid the first slash; the same with the second, the third, the fourth... it’s fast. Sweet mother of mercy, she’s never seen any Pokémon move as fast. Diantha doesn’t look like she has, either. She’s paled, but it’s hard to describe her expression when you’re trying to avoid being stabbed by incorporeal swords. She could hear René’s voice. He sounded angry. “Diantha! What in all that is holy have you done to that Aegislash!?” “E... Everything, Mr. Galliard,” she says, swallowing the dryness in her throat as Minerva continues to barely dodge the Aegislash’s onslaught; teleport after teleport, dodge after dodge. “IV breeding, EV training, Super Training; every possible way to improve that Aegislash’s performance has been taken — even operant conditioning.” René falls silent, staring at the Champion for a good while before opening his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the heavy ‘clang’ of a fallen shield.

Minerva had managed, with what luck she could garner, to counter one of the Aegislash’s attacks, staring at it with brilliant magenta eyes. Hypnosis won’t do much, but it can buy her some time. As the Aegislash slumps to the floor, asleep, the glow from Minerva’s eyes fades — the same for all of the light in the vicinity. Everything ebbs, all of the light being soaked into the tiny, golf-ball sized hole of pure black that Minerva was accumulating between her hands. She hunches over, looking as if she’s in physical pain as the black hole grows, sucking in the light as it only grows further. She was going to use the black hole as an attack. Oh god, no. “Minerva,” René warns, “Minerva, you don’t have the energy to do this. Minerva. Minerva, listen to m—“

_ **”MINERVA!”** _

_It feels cold._

Minerva slumps to her knees, the darkness gone, and the light returned. The blood drips on to the concrete below as she gazes down at her wound.

_It feels so, so cold._

The blade had completely impaled her. Seems like the Aegislash has woken up early. Being a Ghost type, odds are the black hole didn’t faze it too much.

_The blood is warm, though._

”Minerva, Minerva!” René shouts, running towards his partner. “Minerva, t’avez été tellement pire, s'il tu plaît dites-moi que t’êtes en vie...”

_It’s my blood..._

”Return the Aegislash!” He orders, glaring at Diantha with pure, grieved hatred. “RETURN IT NOW!”

_So that’s nice._

The red light takes the Aegislash back in, Diantha numbly placing the ball back as René hunches down, choking back tears.

_Well... I had a good run. René’ll be fine. He’s always been the stoic type._

No-one moves, René holding the lifeless Gardevoir as her blood seeps into his shirt. The tears mix into the blood, seeping into the concrete.

_So this is what it feels like._


End file.
